Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band performs at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 22. Photo courtesy 142 Throckmorton Theatre.

One of the greatest and most prolific filmmakers of our lifetime – one who's left his own indelible imprint on each of the 44 films he's directed to date – was just one nonchalant, self-effacing cog in a delightful ensemble performance of Dixieland jazz music at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre Saturday night.Drawing from a repertoire that includes more than 1,200 traditional songs, Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band, which has existed in one form or another for more than 35 years, played a set of horn-soaked tunes that would incite a smile and a foot tap from even the most fun-resistant curmudgeons.That's largely due to the fact that Allen, a self-described terrible clarinet player, surrounds himself with a phenomenal cast of musicians, particularly band leader and banjo player Eddy Davis, trombonist Jerry Zigmont and trumpeter Simon Wettenhall.In typical Woody Allen fashion, one his few utterances at the mic featured a ribald joke to describe his frequent surprise that audiences are willing to turn out to hear the band perform live. The joke centered on a man who comes home to find his wife in bed with his best friend, at whom he says, "Really, Sam, you? I mean, I have to, but you?"The line drew a burst of laughter from the sold-out house full, and it was followed by a night of fantastic Dixieland jazz.

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